What is the analysis of "The Daughter of the Dark"?

"The Lost Daughter" movie analysis:

The movie "The Lost Daughter" (The Lost Daughter) is directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and tells the story of Leda ’s story and her complicated journey as a mother. As the archetypes of "great mother" and "terrible mother" emerge, the film attempts to show the complexity of being a mother, with Leda oscillating between these two extremes.

Although mothers are always expected to be selfless, it is in the process of motherhood that she loses part of her identity as an independent individual. The film takes us on a journey with Leda, often showing us the world as she sees it.

During a working holiday in Greece, Leda accidentally met Nina and her daughter Elena. The close relationship between Nina and Elena reminded Leda of her and her daughter Bianca and The days of Martha's youth.

Leda’s perspective lens creates the idea of ??a voyeur looking at her secrets from a distance. Perhaps it is because of the distance that the memories evoked are sweet and intimate. Just like the movie Leda describes, she's watching the people on the beach, she's barely noticed by those around her, she's almost invisible in the chaos, just like in a movie theater.

Once someone talks to her, this realm is broken, and she is gradually involved in an embarrassing journey. It's not just the relationship between Nina and Elena that brings Leda back, but also the relationship between Nina and her husband, which reminds Leda of her fading romance with her then-husband.

As the story of "Daughter of the Darkness" progresses, those pleasant memories are replaced by those that trouble her. As a young mother and professor, Leda was torn between her academic interests and her daughters. Distracted by her crying toddler at work, Leda turned into an angry mother bound by her responsibilities.

With Elena's loss, traumatic memories resurface and Leda succeeds in finding Elena, just as she failed to find Bianca on the beach. Nina admires Leda after she helps find Elena, but this joy is replaced by struggle when Elena throws a tantrum because she lost her doll.

In the scene before Elena goes missing, she is playing with her doll, biting its cheek in the process. When the parents search for the doll, we learn that Leda stole it. This doll symbolizes Leda's childhood and her strong desire to protect it from the world. Leda remembers how she gave Bianca her favorite doll, but her daughter destroyed it.

Leda has thrown the doll away in past fits of rage, but this time she decides to save it. She hid the doll safely in a cupboard. Even though Leda knew that Elena was troubled by the loss of her favorite toy, Leda decided to keep it.

This can also be described as a way to punish the child (Elena/Bianca) for destroying something she loves deeply. In particular, her destructive relationship with Bianca is established many times in "Daughter of the Dark." When the mother's attention is distracted, this leads to conflict, anger and hatred.

Leda is a complex character, her consciousness guiding her to fulfill specific roles and responsibilities, while her actual interests may be mostly self-centered like humans.

As her academic success was admired by her professors, Leda gradually decided to prioritize her own interests and growth. Her extramarital affairs further distanced her children from her. Leda was gone for three years while her husband begged her to stay, and her children could barely comprehend the complexity of the situation.

This is something Leda is ashamed of, her conscience makes her feel guilty, and it is another reason why she hates herself. Leda discovered Nina and Will's extramarital affair. They planned to spend the night in Leda's rented apartment and asked her to lend them the key.

Leda returns the doll to Nina and explains that she stole it from Elena. Confused, Nina cursed at Leda, who continued to apologize. Leda describes herself as an unnatural mother and warns Nina that this will never pass because of the constant pain and trouble a mother must go through.

Nina severely wounded Leda with a sharp hatpin and left the room. A physically and mentally injured Leda left the Greek town. As she drove by the beach, she decided to go for a walk. Leda was sleeping on the beach and was awakened by the waves. An injury she sustained while serving in the Navy reminded her of a conversation she had with her daughters, when they wondered what the Navy was about.

When Nina saw blood dripping from her wound, she finally decided to call her daughter. Bianca and Martha are delighted to receive a letter from their mother, and the beauty of this scene, where the love of a mother and her daughters is finally expressed and restored.

Finally, the mother was very careful not to break the orange peel when peeling it, so it looked like a snake. The last layer of orange skin was peeled off, feeling like a new baby, and she talked to her daughters as she peeled away the skin.

The cinematography of "Daughter of the Dark" creates a sense of intimacy and intimacy through the constant use of extreme close-ups that is engaging, thought-provoking, and worth watching.